WALMART has updated its shopping carts and is distributing them to all 4,600 U.S. locations.
Many shoppers don’t like the new cart design, even blaming it for bad consumer behavior.
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Walmart has revamped its shopping carts to improve the overall shopping experience and cater to modern consumers.
The updated carts have four new features.
Two upgrades include a phone slot and additional cup holders, which most buyers appreciate.
However, customers have raised concerns about the large size adjustments of shopping carts.
Walmart raised the handlebar height from 39.75 inches to 43.3 inches and raised the child seat from 32 inches to 37.8 inches.
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One Walmart shopper blamed the larger cart for encouraging excessive spending habits.
“We buy a lot of junk,” user X began.
“If you’ve ever seen Walmart’s huge shopping carts, filled to overflowing, you might wonder why we waste so much and are crazy about consumption.
SIZING
Shopping carts are almost three times larger than they were in 1975.
From two small baskets on wheels to today’s gigantic baskets, shopping carts have consistently grown in size.
The main purpose of a cart is to encourage shoppers to buy more than they can carry, so it makes sense for retailers to expand their shopping carts to increase profit.
Cart size correlates with how much consumers spend, and companies use this to their advantage, marketing expert Martin Lindstrom told Today.
If the size of a shopping cart was doubled, customers would spend an average of 40% more, whether they realized it or not.
PURCHASING CONFLICT
While Walmart’s large shopping carts are intended to encourage consumer spending, they also inadvertently turn away shoppers.
The new carts have sparked controversy among shorter shoppers, people with disabilities and elderly customers.
All three groups of buyers complained that the enlarged strollers caused them shoulder and back pain due to the raised handlebars.
“My shoulders hurt just thinking about it. Plus all I can do is take a big bag of whatever from the cart and put it in the trunk,” said one elderly shopper on Facebook.
“Great! Now my disability can aggravate my shoulder even more! Thanks, Walmart!” shouted another customer.
A short shopper hit the carts for causing them to get “stuck walking uncomfortably.”
In related news, a Walmart customer asked shoppers to check their receipts after two items were added to their grocery total.
Additionally, the retailer is selling a summer essential for $49 for 35% off.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
